The Color Of Speed

"It'll give me something to work for," vowed Jeremy.

Michael Johnson, who didn't bust 45 seconds until his senior year at Baylor, hurried to trackside from his BBC press-row perch. "Jeremy, do you realize what you've just done?" Johnson cried.

"Right now I've got to focus on the four-by-four relay," replied Jeremy.

Johnson blinked. "I'm thinking, First of all, that's a few days from now, and second, if you're on the United States' four-by-four relay, you don't focus on it, you just run and don't drop the baton," says Johnson. "You kind of want to shake him and say, 'Celebrate! Jump around a little. Be a kid, be silly, say something stupid--be 20!'"

Pookie didn't hit the town. He didn't celebrate. He had downed seven shots of tequila once at a college party, and that had been the end of party life for him. He barely even flashed his gold medal to his family, and he casually tossed the wreath he wore on the medal stand to his sister to keep. Hell, he never even bothered to check out the Acropolis, the Parthenon or anything else in Athens during the Games. He did what he usually did: surfed the Internet, watched TV, text-messaged and IM'd friends and slept, a homebody far from home.

Four days later he ran the third leg of the USA's winning 400-meter relay. He could've run the anchor leg, the historical prerogative of the gold medalist in the 400, but he turned it down. He wanted his pal Darold, who always ran anchor on Baylor's 400-meter relay team, to hit the tape and take the limelight.

It was time to go home, but Jeremy didn't have to pack his suitcase. He was so eager to see Michelle Milton, his African-American girlfriend, that he'd packed it three days early.

RE: Sprinter's speed isn't Black or White issue

Runninghorse> I've been saying it for years: only in the US, the coaches put the white guys out to the distance pastures and the black guys on the speedway. Its all based on mythology.

Answer Giver> Let's stir the pot (klansmen and panthers free your mind and your ass will follow)....